Eailroad bail joint



( No Model.)

G. B. WILT.

RAILROAD RAIL JOINT.

No. 311,454. Patented Jan. 27, 1885.

GEORGE B. VVILT, OF BRADFORD,

PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM M. PAGE, OF SAME PLACE.

.RAILROAD RAIL JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 311Ai, dated January 27, 1885.

Application filed May 23, 1883.

rail-joints which, by means of complementary tongue-andgroove connections, present a practically continuous rail which resists all vertical and lateral pressure at the joint and is capable of free expansion and contraction due to changesin temperature. In such joints as heretofore constructed it has been the practice to mutilate the web, head, and base of the rail in such a manner that the weight of the train will tend to mash or break the joint.

The object of my invention is therefore to provide a joint which will not be affected by any amount of vertical strain or pressure; and to this end my invention may be broadly stated as consisting in forming the meeting members of the joint with horizontally-overlapping portions, said overlapping portions being uncut or undivided vertically, or in so cutting away the head and base of one member (thus leaving the web projecting) and the web of the opposite member (thus leaving the head and base projecting) that the parts may be slid one within the other, one supporting the other. In order, however, to prevent lateral displacement, I form tongues on the projecting ends of the head and base of one member, which engage in corresponding grooves in the head and base of the other member, respectively, and as an additional means of security in this respect I form the under side of the projecting head with a dovetail groove, within which the top of the projecting web of the other member slides. It will be seen that the dovetail joint may be employed without the tongues and grooves, or that the tongues and grooves may be employed without the dovetail, either be- 5 ing sufficient to secure the parts against lateral displacement; but it is preferable to employ both. The base may also be held by a dovetail joint, if desired; but this is not deemed necessary.

In order that my invention may be more fully understood, I will proceed to describe it (No model.)

with reference to the accompanying drawings,

' in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the meeting ends of the rails shown separated. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section on the line 2 2, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the parts together. Figs. 4. and 5 are respectively a plan and an under side view of the members separated.

A B represent the opposite members of the joint. a represents the head of the rail, and b the web thereof. In the head of the member B is cut or formed a recess, a, which receives a corresponding tongue, d, formed on the end of the projecting head of the member A, for assisting in securing the parts against relative lateral displacement. The web of the member A is cut away, as at 6, so that it may receive the solid web f, projecting beyond the head and base of the member 13. The upper portion or neck of the projecting web f slides into a dovetail groove, 9, formed in the under side of the head of member A, which tends to secure the said projecting end against relative lateral movement within the recess 0. At the base of the member B is shown a recess, h. similar to that shown at c in the head of said member, which receives a corresponding tongue, i, formed on the end of the projecting 9 base of member A, thus forming a connection at the base G, which will be seen to aid further in securing the parts against relative lateral displacement.

It is obvious that the tongues 01 and 13 and grooves c and h may be employed to secure the parts against lateral displacement without the use of the dovetail connection f g, or that the dovetail connection may be employed without the use of the tongues and grooves; but it is 9 preferred to employ both. I do not, however, desire to limit myself to any precise method of securing the meeting ends against such displacement, as this does not form an essential feature of my invention, which will be seen to consist in forming a joint for the meeting ends of railway-rails in which neither the head, base, nor web shall be cut or divided in a vertical plane. One of the members is spiked to the sleepers through notches j, while the other is secured so that it may move freely longitudinally.

It is obvious that a joint formed as above described will do away with the use of fishplates, bolts, and nuts, while the parts are permitted to expand and contract from variations in temperature Without straining the connections.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A rail-joint consisting of the two meeting members formed with horizontally-overlapping portions, said overlapping portions being uncut or undivided vertically, as set forth.

2. A rail-joint consisting of the two meeting members formed with horizontally-overlapping portions, said overlapping portions being uncut or undivided and secured against lateral displacement by vertically-interlocking portions, substantially as described.

3. A rail-joint consisting of the two meeting members formed with horizontally-overlapping portions, in combination with a vertical dovetail joint for securing the parts against lateral displacement.

4. A rail-joint consisting of the two meeting members formed with horizontally-overlapping portions, in combination with a vertical dovetail joint and vertical tongues and grooves for securing the parts against lateral displacement, as set forth. 7 5. A joint for the meeting ends of railwayrails, consisting of a solid web projecting from the end of one member and the solid head and base portions projecting from the end of the other member complementarily, as set forth.

6. A joint for the meeting ends of railwayrails, consisting of a solid web projecting from the end of one member and solid head and base portions projecting from the end of the other member complementarily, said parts being secured against lateral displacement, substantially as described.

7. In arail-joint. thecombination of tongue d, recess a in head, projecting web f, recess e, groove 9, and tongue 6 and recess h in base, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

GEORGE B. WILT.

Witnesses: J. G. EPLER,

W. M. PAGE. 

